Patent Grant
10662599
Passengers traveling in various vehicles including airplanes, trains, bus, and automobiles often suffer from the loss of traction during wet surface contact. Such loss of traction can potentially lead to tragic accidents. Runway safety has now included the use of a foam bed at the end of runways to create resistance of the wheel-surface contact area, with the hopes of slowing down an airplane that has lost traction due to a wet surface. However, the loss of traction on the runway, prior to reaching the terminal foam bed, may lead to a significant accident prior to hitting the foam bed, such as driving off the side of a runway or toppling over.
Additionally, the advent of anti-lock braking has helped in aircrafts and vehicles from preventing a sliding action and loss of control during braking on wet surfaces. Essentially, the brakes pump intermittently to prevent locking of the brakes, which significantly improves traction. However, such anti-lock braking still results in a loss of control and traction, depending on the conditions of the road surface, speed of the vehicle, and braking conditions.
The present invention generally relates to the field of traction control. More particularly, this disclosure describes an apparatus that provides an automated deployment of pressure-drying apparatus coupled to a landing gear or wheel axis for improved traction.
Numerous devices including anti-lock braking system and vertical stabilizing system have been long incorporated on vehicles and aircrafts to improve traction control and stability. Essentially, they both automate the principles of threshold braking and cadence braking, to prevent wheel locking and vehicle skidding by intermittently pumping the brakes at an extremely fast rate—a rate much faster than can be achieved by a human.
When the system of wheel sensors and a controller detects a wheel rotating significantly slower than the others—lower than a certain threshold value—the system actuates the valves to reduce hydraulic pressure and brake force to the brake at the slower wheel. Conversely, if the system of sensors and a controller detects a wheel turning significantly faster than the others, brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel is increased, increasing brake force at the faster wheel. Again, such adaptive brake force application may significantly reduce wheel locking and subsequent skidding, however, skidding may continue to persist depending on the driving surface conditions.
Thus, there is a market void for a traction-improving device coupled to a vehicle, which is involved in complementing a vehicles ABS system, by improving the concurrent, drive-time driving surface conditions.
There are currently no patent references that disclose such a traction-improving device, intended to complement the primary traction delivery of ABS and tire material/threading. A patent granted to Rydzewski (U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,053) discloses an air discharge unit coupled to a conduit and terminating with a discharge opening, however, it is designed to improve traction on a locomotive railway, and not a traditional driving surface. As a result of this, the discharge opening may be limited to a single, concentrated discharge opening, and still succeed in improving traction on a linear application, such as a locomotive railway. However, such a single, concentrated discharge opening would be limited in disbursing a drying agent or air across a wheel path of a driving surface. Moreover, the single, concentrated discharge of Rydzewski is not adaptive or dynamic based on an input data fed from any one an input source. The discharge isn't discriminate and doesn't respond dynamically in accordance with a stimulus or an input data. The discharge disclosed in Rydzewski is simply reactive, and based on a user input of a locomotive engineer.
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a vertical support member and cross-member disposed with a plurality of linear dispensing nozzles, and more specifically, the embodiments of the present invention relate to dynamic and adaptive discharge of drying agents from said dispensing nozzles onto a surface of a wheel and wheel path based on any one of input data for improved traction.
In general, one aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus comprising: a vertical support member pivotally mounted to any one of a wheel axle, chassis, or landing gear at a first terminal end and coupled perpendicularly to a horizontal member to an opposing terminal end; said horizontal member dimensioned with a first plurality of linear dispensing nozzles oriented towards a bottom portion of at least one wheel, and a second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles oriented towards a top portion of a driving surface, wherein the first and second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles are each fed by an air or fluid line that diverges from a single air or fluid line in operable communication with an on-board air-pressure unit; said vertical support member and horizontal member configured to extend into a down-right position electro-mechanically at the first terminal end, wherein the first plurality and second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles is positioned less than 24 inches from the bottom portion of at least one wheel and the top portion of the driving surface, wherein activation of the vertical support member and horizontal member extending into the down-right position and deployment of pressurized air or fluid from the first and second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles.
The apparatus is further comprising of a processor; a memory element coupled to the processor; and encoded instructions; wherein the device is further configured to: receive input data; based on the received input data, control an actuator at the first terminal end of the vertical support member to extend the member into a down-right position; based on the received input data, activate the air pressure unit to control air and, or liquid flow through the single and, or diverged air or fluid lines; and based on the received input data, deliver a drying agent to the bottom portion of the wheel and the top portion of the driving surface from the first plurality of linear dispensing nozzles and the second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a system is disclosed describing the apparatus networked with an array of sensors, controller, vehicle's ABS system, etc. and configured to deliver a wheel-path disbursal of drying agents from a plurality of linear dispensing nozzles based on a received input data. The input data may be from any one the networked sensors, controller, vehicle's ABS system, and, or contextual data sources, such as off-board or off-networked data sources. For example, a weather report of a 60% likelihood of precipitation from a meteorological agency may inform the system to deploy the apparatus during the engagement of the landing gear.
As another object of the invention, a method of delivering high-pressurized air, possibly along with other drying agents, abrasives, or desiccants, through a plurality of linear dispensing nozzles, which are adaptively responsive based on input data, is provided.
Other devices, apparatus, and/or products according to embodiments will be or will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and further description. It is intended that all such additional devices, apparatus, and/or products be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The following is a discussion and description of preferred specific embodiments of the automated deployment of pressurized air apparatus for improved traction as claimed, such being made with reference to drawings, and in particular to
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but no other embodiments.
Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to
Once deployed, the high-pressure air flow from the air-pressure unit, through the supply line, and finally, the dispensing nozzles for output may stabilize the apparatus during landing impact of an aircraft, wheel slippage of a vehicle, etc. In other embodiments, the actuator or coupling joints, housed or non-housed, support stability and the degree of inclination during deployment. In other embodiments, the apparatus, while not shown in
Now referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in
Preferably, the vertical support member 102 and horizontal member 104 are configured to extend into a down-right position electro-mechanically at the first terminal end, wherein the first plurality and second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles is positioned less than 24 inches from the bottom portion of at least one wheel and the top portion of the driving surface, wherein activation of the vertical support member 102 and horizontal member 104 extending into the down-right position and deployment of pressurized air 106 or fluid from the first and second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles;
Furthermore, the apparatus or device may further comprise a processor; a memory element coupled to the processor; and encoded instructions, wherein the apparatus or device is further configured to: receive input data; based on the received input data, control an actuator at the first terminal end of the vertical support member 102 to extend the member into a down-right position; based on the received input data, activate the air pressure unit to control air and, or liquid flow through the single and, or diverged air or fluid lines; and based on the received input data, deliver an air burst 106 or drying agent to the bottom portion of the wheel and the top portion of the driving surface from the first plurality of linear dispensing nozzles and the second plurality of linear dispensing nozzles.
In continuing reference to
The vertical support member 102 may be in tensionable communication with any portion of a landing gear, wheel axle, or vehicle chassis, by a spring-coil attachment 108, enabling any one of, or combination of, a lowering of the vertical support member 102 into an active state, or raising of the vertical support member 102 into a resting state. Alternatively, actuation or articulation at the vertical support member 102-gear/wheel interface (primary interface) may be achieved by any one of an electro-mechanical means housed within a housing located within this interface coupling. The vertical support member 102-horizontal member 104 interface (secondary interface) may additionally be non-articulated or articulated, based on the scale of the air burst path. Articulation of this secondary interface may be achieved similarly as the primary interface. The secondary interface may be non-articulated and simply coupled at the interface point. In other embodiments, the terminal end of the vertical support member 102 may be conjoined with the horizontal member at the secondary interface point as a single, contiguous, unitary piece.
Coupling of the spring-coil at the primary interface point may be achieved by any one of clamp mount, traversal pin, pin and loop, hook, etc. Coupling may also be achieved by a clamp mount disposed on the underside of the unit housing the electro-mechanical actuation/articulation means.
In some embodiments, telescopic features may be added to any one of the members 102, 104 to adjust the height of the vertical support member 102 or width of the horizontal support member 104. By adjusting the height of the vertical support member, one can attain a closer air burst 106, and by adjusting the width of the horizontal member 104, one can widen the air burst 106 path. In other embodiments, lock mechanism may be fitted to these telescopic joints to lock a preferred height or width. Lock mechanisms may also be fitted onto the coupling points at any one of the interface points (primary or secondary).
Now in reference to
Alternatively, the terminal end of the vertical support member 202 may be disposed with a housing containing an electro-mechanical actuator for causing deployment. The same actuation may also cause circular and, or axial rotation of the vertical support member 202. In some embodiments, the opposing terminal end of the vertical support member 202 may interface with the horizontal member 204 with a housing also containing an electro-mechanical actuation for causing axial and, or circular rotation of the horizontal member 204.
Still in reference to
The device 410 may be operationally integrated or coupled with a vehicle's or aircraft's anti-lock braking and, or electronic stability control system.
Upon detection of a discrepancy of leveling data between the steering wheel sensor data and gyroscopic sensor data 404, the ECU 406 will relay an input signal to the hydraulic modulator 408 for applying selective brake pressure to an affected wheel. In a preferred embodiment, the same input signal will also trigger deployment of the horizontal member of the device 410 for high-pressure air burst to cause improved traction.
In other embodiments, other triggering data may activate deployment, such as contextual or outboard data: airport tower data, weather station data, fleet center data, etc. Signals generated from any one of these outboard or external sources may over a network communicate with an on-board access point coupled to the ECU 406, which may then signal deployment of the horizontal member and nozzle disbursal of the high-pressure air. Alternatively, driver or pilot manual deployment of the device 410 may be achieved by an electro-mechanical actuation of the tensionable spring coil or deployment means housed at a landing gear/wheel axle-vertical support member interface. The tensionable spring coil or deployment means/housing may further comprise pivotal means which is manually controlled or automated based on any one of input signal. The pivot may allow the dispensing nozzles and air burst path a wider range of motion.
Now in reference to
Still referring to
In continuing reference to
In alternative embodiments, the air pressure unit 514 and dispensing nozzles 518 may be interceded by a heating element 520. The heating element 520 may be any one of a metallic or polymer PTC heating element, wherein electric current is generated by signal from the ECU 508 or MCU 512, and passed through a resistance to create heat. The high-pressurized air from the air pressure unit 514 may direct the flow of air through the temperature element 520 for heating of the air, and then this high-pressure and heated air may then be directed to the plurality of dispensing nozzles 518. The temperature element 520 may be comprised of any one of an element, such as wire, coil, ribbon, and the material may be any one of a material, including: Kanthal (FeCrAl) wires, Nichrome 80/20 wire and strip, and, or Cupronickel (CuNi).
As shown in
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative and descriptive of a number of embodiments covering the novel aspects of the head and neck device, and it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
While this specification contains many specific execution details, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Contrariwise, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented and interpreted in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub combination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.
Thus, particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3842680 | Vollick | Oct 1974 | A |
| 4484708 | Hait | Nov 1984 | A |
| 7914020 | Boston | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200087877 A1 | Mar 2020 | US |
